


quiet covenant

by grains_of_saturn



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: F/F, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-11-04 22:22:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11000226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grains_of_saturn/pseuds/grains_of_saturn
Summary: The task of communing with all six of the Astrals is daunting, but Gentiana will remain by Lunafreya's side no matter what.





	quiet covenant

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the FFXV kinkmeme. Prompt: " _Gentiana shows her Shiva form to Luna for the first time._ "

Throughout all of the changes that fell upon Tenebrae - and those that came changed everything so very quickly - Lunafreya knew that, above and before anything, Gentiana would remain by her side. She had always been there, to the extent that Lunafreya could not recall their first meeting; that statement was as simple as it was absolute. _She had always been there_.

Under Niflheim rule, Tenebrae became not quite like the Tenebrae that they had always known. Outside of that initial attack came an uneasy kind of peace; no true sense of freedom, but that of being caged for one's own good. At that time, Niflheim seemed to have no interest in further attacks - or at least, to do so seemed to serve them no immediate benefit. It was impressed upon Lunafreya, during those days, that such a decision could change at any moment. They were too isolated to know the Empire's intentions, too far from anywhere else to give or request aid, military service, _anything_. " _They keep you like this because it suits them to do so, Lady Lunafreya. Never forget that._ "

Even as the sky lay bright above, the potential for treachery still remained. The knowledge that Tenebrae's physical positioning left it open to attack from Imperial airships was forever at the back of her mind - because how would it ever be possible for them to protect themselves against such a thing? Lunafreya would join Gentiana in bed at the end of each heavy day, speaking her frustrations where no-one else would hear them. Gentiana would hold her close and stroke her hair, actions that were barely considered between them, let alone questioned. _That's simply how things have always been. At least, since--_

It was soon after that initial attack that Lunafreya had been able to express something that had played upon her mind for some time; that the attack on Tenebrae had caused the death of the Queen and Oracle Sylva only brought this fact into sharp focus - and it did seem to be fact, as strange as it seemed to be to believe in such a thing.

"... You seem troubled, my Lady. If there should be something you wish to speak of..."

It was impossible to hide anything from Gentiana, and Lunafreya felt very aware that, even in the comparative darkness of her room at night, her emotions played too openly upon her expression. To be confronted with that statement, however, made it no less difficult to put into words. The part of Lunafreya that missed her mother's warmth, the part of her thought process that said _at least Gentiana is still here--_...

"Forgive me if I speak out of turn, Gentiana, but--..." (She hesitated.) "You are cold to the touch."

It seemed impossible to imagine Gentiana angry, and indeed, that comment only seemed to cause one of those deep and enigmatic smiles. "I think it should be strange were I to be otherwise, my Lady. Don't you think?"

"As Messenger to the Glacian..." It was easy to forget, sometimes, that Gentiana was not strictly human. _Maybe completely inhuman?_ There was a lot that Lunafreya didn't understand, and much that Gentiana seemed unwilling to elaborate on - or at least, would only do so in the most obtuse manner. That, at least, was something that Lunafreya was used to.

"Does it cause you discomfort?" There was a playful tone to her voice.

"Not... as such, I simply--... wondered, that's all."

"You wondered... what, precisely...?"

There came the brief desire for her touch to be warmer, or at least _warm_ \- Gentiana's presence was too ubiquitous to be anything other than a comfort, but there was still something very mildly unsettling about the expectation of a human presence versus Gentiana's reality, whatever _that_ happened to be. She was never not a comfort, but Lunafreya felt keenly aware of her nightdress-clad shoulder leant close to Gentiana's own, and how the warmth of her own body apparently did nothing compared to the mystical being beside her. And it seemed rude to voice it, somehow, or at least inconsiderate; how else could a request from a human to a _Messenger_ seem? ( _And yet, even Umbra and Pryna are warm to touch, and feel alive--_ )

Perhaps it was because of Shiva's abilities as the Glacian. Perhaps it was because Shiva's corpse lay still, even now, bringing blizzards and impenetrable glaciers to Niflheim's snowfields--

"I wonder, sometimes, if I should request a hot water bottle for my slumber. Just sometimes."

"I see. Perhaps I should fetch you further nightclothes? A collection from your wardrobe, to be worn all at once. An impeccable presentation of your high fashion."

Lunafreya laughed, then, feeling the warmth in Gentiana's words that was absent from her skin.

 

\-----

 

As she stared at the flickering campfire, Lunafreya knew that her thoughts were racing - so fast that it was impossible to devote rational consideration to any one of them. As had been the case with Tenebrae, what felt like so long ago, so much had happened and so _quickly_. The only comfort that came following the fall of Insomnia was the knowledge that Noctis had not been present to witness it, or to be caught up within it. Lunafreya knew that she couldn't even begin to know what his reactions to the attack would be, and that she could only pray for his continued survival outside of the Crown City.

One of her first questions to Gentiana had been on whether it would be a worthwhile endeavor for them to engineer a meeting with Noctis and his retinue; this suggestion was, however, roundly refused.

" _We know that the reports covering your supposed deaths are false, but news takes time to travel; we have much to do, my Lady, and it may serve to buy us some time should we let the world turn without you for just a little longer. I should hope that the Prince might have the same idea; it might also be that his search for royal power could take him to far deeper and darker places than our own duties. We must meet with the Hexatheon before him; it is, after all, the duty that you were born to fulfill._ "

It was, nonetheless, somewhat difficult to make such a plan without knowing the precise whereabouts of Noctis and his companions. Royal Tombs were spread across Lucis - _are there not even some that lie within Niflheim's current territories?_ It was important for Noctis to receive their powers, but Lunafreya knew that time was not on their side. As such, she knew that she could only take Gentiana's advice; the sooner they were able to meet with the Six, the closer Noctis came to being able to master his true powers. It was easy to think such a thing, though, while sat somewhere in the Leide deserts - the prophecy seemed to rely on so many disparate elements coming together that it was overwhelming to even try to consider them all at once. And yet, again, Lunafreya knew that Gentiana's words were correct - as complicated as it all seemed, it was what she had been born to do. The blood that flowed within her and back through generations did so precisely for _this_ , so what else could be done? There was no question about it. (That still didn't make the prospect of their immediate first step any easier to plan.)

"You feel the presence of the Archaean, do you not?"

Lunafreya was unsure as to how she knew it, but she also knew that Gentiana's words were true. "... I do. It is quite faint, though, I fear..."

"That perception should keep us to the right track. It might take many nights for us to reach the Archaean's seat, but we shall endure."

"... Of course." (Still Lunafreya kept her eyes to the dancing flames before her.)

"Does the task ahead trouble you...?"

"I... simply wonder if we can make it in time. It could take us so long to reach, and yet, there remain so many others that we need to locate--... the Hydraen has taken its place in Altissia, of all territories--! And the Glacian--"

"What of the Glacian?"

"She lies still close to Gralea, does she not?... And to say that, 'lies still' is too truthful a phrase. The very evidence of her defeat is plain to see, from long before I was ever in any position to respond to it... and yet you still appear before me, Gentiana? Messenger of the Glacian. It must yet be possible for you to communicate with her even now, surely?"

"... 'Defeat' remains a foreign word to the Hexatheon. Certainly so at the hands of mere humans. There may simply have been other reasons for the Glacian to shed her corporeal form, at that time."

"And how could a human ever come to understand the reasoning made by a God, I wonder..."

"Sometimes, these things are not as complex as they seem. I have confidence that you would understand, if confronted."

"I can only hope that that would be the case."

The knowledge that Lunafreya's duty rested upon communication - and some sort of understanding - with the Hexatheon was obvious enough that she barely dared to broach the subject. She was confident that she would do all that she could, because what else could she do? And yet, it was something that was impossible to practice - no other beings were like the Astrals, and for all of her study and research, there was still part of her that didn't know what to expect. It would be difficult, she knew that much - the link between human and Astral was as fragile as thread, to be severed at the whim of a God.

There could be nothing done of that in her present moment, though. In those deserts, undisturbed at the campsite by any living thing, miles from the nearest trace of Astral activity... Lunafreya knew that there was no point in worrying herself to exhaustion, _that won't help anybody_. Now was the time to sleep and to prepare, and those were the things that deserved her focus.

"You seem uneasy, still."

Lunafreya wasn't sure if it was that her feelings were _that_ obvious or if it was the sheer strength of Gentiana's perception, but she held the smallest impulse that wished that she could hide such things, even from Gentiana, just for the night. She tried to smile, knowing herself distracted. "I'll feel better once we're making progress. The most overwhelming part of any task is always the start, is it not? But such things are not for tonight. We should rest, for now."

"Of course." (Despite that agreement, neither Lunafreya nor Gentiana made any move towards slumber. Gentiana raised her head, a flicker of some imperceptible emotion evident on her brow, only for a moment.) "Would it bring you some peace, my Lady, to know that not every member of the Hexatheon lies opposed to your intentions?"

The first thought that came to Lunafreya's mind was to express her confusion at that sudden statement, but of course, Gentiana was a Messenger. How, precisely, that manifested itself, Lunafreya was unsure. "... Have you received word from the Six...?"

"It would be convenient if that were the case. I cannot offer you such widespread communication, but--... there is _this_."

Again came confusion, this time from the hand Gentiana had raised to her own neck to loosen the clasp there - and lower...? Lunafreya couldn't think of what ' _this_ ' could be, and then was suddenly confronted with a change of landscape so sudden that it took some moments to process that it had changed at all. From the warm haze of the desert, Lunafreya felt suddenly aware of a sharp and piercing _cold_ \- and was that a blizzard? Snow seemed to rush past her peripheral vision, and yet something seemed to shield her from the brunt of its force. She could have questioned the sudden appearance of snow, the drop in temperature, the fact that she seemed protected - but those thoughts were immediately pushed aside by the form that now seemed to float where Gentiana had sat, just seconds before.

" _The Glacian has always been somewhat predisposed towards harmony with humans._ "

The voice that Lunafreya heard was identifiable as Gentiana's own, but hearing it caused her to bring one hand to her temple; that voice felt as if it came from within, somehow? Communicated directly towards her, without the need for speech.

"Gen... tiana...?"

" _It was through no malice that I kept this from you, Lunafreya; your time in Tenebrae kept you simply too close to the Empire. Should I have shown you this previously, it would only have brought further misfortune upon you and your household. I am content to walk by your side - your journey has begun. This covenant was formed between us from our very first meeting. Let your burden be lifted of at least that much._ "

The figure of the Astral before her came closer, then, barely touching the ground - as if weightless - and extending a hand to stroke Lunafreya's cheek. The sensation was as cold as anything Lunafreya had ever known, and yet not unpleasant, somehow; something of that temperature felt as if it should be extreme enough to bring pain, but there was a chill to the touch that felt soothing, somehow; Lunafreya brought her hand up against the Astral's own. More than anything else, she felt _kindness_. Not only from the touch alone; within her mind, as if flooding her thoughts.

"You... always protected me, didn't you, Gentiana...?"

" _I wonder if my protection was really so significant. I should be happy if that were the case._ "

Gentiana's presence still felt familiar, ever if her physical form had changed entirely. Lunafreya wasn't sure how even to look upon her, now - books and records only held the vaguest approximation of how an Astral may take physical form, and some were more obvious than others. Titan had remained in place, and yet few wished to approach the Archaean. Shiva's corpse would be visible to anybody, were they able to make their way through the blizzards and mountains to reach her--

"I--... thought that you'd be--..."

" _Yes?_ "

"... I believed that the corpse at Ghorovas to be quite... sizeable...?"

" _We may take different forms, as we see fit._ "

"I--... I see..." Lunafreya looked towards the Astral's eyes, searching. "You are--... the Glacian, aren't you?"

" _The very same._ "

"Should I... not think of you as Gentiana?"

" _Think of me as you wish._ "

Lunafreya let out a nervous laugh. "I can only hope that the others amongst the Hexatheon might be so agreeable."

" _If only such a promise could be made..._ "

Unsure of how to respond further, Lunafreya tried to fully take in the figure in front of her; skin of pale blue, hair that seemed to be formed of ice itself - the way her body seemed adorned by decoration more than it did any sort of _cover_. Of course, she supposed there no real reason for the Astrals to have such human conventions, but she managed only a glance of the Glacian's almost-naked chest leading down to the bared smooth of her lower abdomen before drawing breath in some mild shock, looking swiftly to one side. Such things were the polar opposite of how she'd known Gentiana - seemingly so reserved, always covered. They had shared baths and dressed together previously, but Lunafreya had always afforded Gentiana the privacy she expected in return; never would she have expected something like _this_ \--...

" _You are displeased?_ "

"N-no, I just--... was surprised, that's all. Being presented with the physical form of an Astral - and that that Astral was by my side, all this time...! I welcome it, but it is a lot to take in."

" _Our new position affords us some freedom; like this, I shall continue to protect you. Know that I am always there for you, Lunafreya._ "

Still surprised by the cool sensation of the Astral's skin against her own, Lunafreya let herself be drawn into an embrace - which she then returned, pressing her face against the shoulder quite unlike the one she had leant against, many times in the past.

"... I know. Thank you, Gentiana."

 

\-----

 

There came reports, from hunters in the Leide region, of a localized snowstorm from within the desert. Given what had since happened to Niflheim's deserts, the alert was raised - but then dropped soon after, as the situation failed to replicate itself. Some rejected the idea outright, but others would persist; _strange things happen in the wild_ , they'd say. _You can never be sure what you'll find, out there_.


End file.
